-
Isaiah 40:1-2
“ Comfort my people,” says your God.“ Comfort them.Speak tenderly to the people of Jerusalem. Announce to them that their hard labor has been completed. Tell them that their sin has been paid for. Tell them the Lord has punished them enough for all their sins.”
-
Jeremiah 29:10
The Lord says,“ You will be forced to live in Babylon for 70 years. After they are over, I will come to you. My good promise to you will come true. I will bring you back home.
-
Amos 9:11-15
“ The time will come when I will set up David’s fallen shelter. I will repair its broken walls. I will rebuild what was destroyed. I will make it what it used to be.Then my people will take control of those who are left alive in Edom. They will also possess all the nations that belong to me,” announces the Lord. He will do all these things.“ The days are coming,” announces the Lord.“ At that time those who plow the land will catch up with those who harvest the crops. Those who stomp on grapes will catch up with those who plant the vines. Fresh wine will drip from the mountains. It will flow down from all the hills.I will bring my people Israel back home. I will bless them with great success again. They will rebuild the destroyed cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink the wine they produce. They will make gardens and eat their fruit.I will plant Israel in their own land. They will never again be removed from the land I have given them,” says the Lord your God.
-
Jeremiah 30:10-22
“‘ People of Jacob, do not be afraid. You are my servant. Israel, do not be terrified,’ ” announces the Lord.“‘ You can be sure that I will save you. I will bring you out of a place far away. I will bring your children back from the land where they were taken. Your people will have peace and security again. And no one will make them afraid.I am with you. I will save you,’ ” announces the Lord.“‘ I will completely destroy all the nations among which I scatter you. But I will not completely destroy you. I will correct you. But I will be fair. I will not let you go without any punishment.’ ”The Lord says,“ Your wound can’t be cured. Your pain can’t be healed.No one will stand up for you. There isn’t any medicine for your sore. There isn’t any healing for you.All those who were going to help you have forgotten you. They do not care about you. I have struck you as if I were your enemy. I have punished you as if I were very mean. That is because your guilt is so great. You have sinned so much.Why do you cry out about your wound? Your pain can’t be healed. Your guilt is very great. And you have committed many sins. That is why I have done all these things to you.“ But everyone who destroys you will be destroyed. All your enemies will be forced to leave their countries. Those who steal from you will be stolen from. I will take the belongings of those who take things from you.But I will make you healthy again. I will heal your wounds,” announces the Lord.“ That’s because you have been thrown out. You are called Zion, the one no one cares about.”The Lord says,“ I will bless Jacob’s people with great success again. I will show tender love to Israel. Jerusalem will be rebuilt where it was destroyed. The palace will stand in its proper place.From those places the songs of people giving thanks will be heard. The sound of great joy will come from there. I will cause there to be more of my people. There will not be fewer of them. I will bring them honor. People will have respect for them.Things will be as they used to be for Jacob’s people. I will make their community firm and secure. I will punish everyone who treats them badly.Their leader will be one of their own people. Their ruler will rise up from among them. I will bring him near. And he will come close to me. He will commit himself to serve me,” announces the Lord.“ So you will be my people. And I will be your God.”
-
Zechariah 1:14-16
Then the angel said,“ Announce this message. Say,‘ The Lord who rules over all says,“ I am very jealous for my people in Jerusalem and Zion.And I am very angry with the nations that feel secure. I was only a little angry with my people. But the nations went too far and tried to wipe them out.”“‘ So the Lord says,“ I will return to Jerusalem. I will show its people my tender love. My temple will be rebuilt there. Workers will use a measuring line when they rebuild Jerusalem,” announces the Lord.
-
Zechariah 2:4-12
He said to him,“ Run! Tell that young man Zechariah,‘ Jerusalem will be a city that does not have any walls around it. It will have huge numbers of people and animals in it.And I myself will be like a wall of fire around it,’ announces the Lord.‘ I will be the city’s glory.’“ Israel, I have scattered you,” announces the Lord.“ I have used the power of the four winds of heaven to do it. Come quickly! Run away from the land of the north,” announces the Lord.“ Come, people of Zion! Escape, you who live in Babylon!”The Lord rules over all. His angel says to Israel,“ The Glorious One has sent me to punish the nations that have robbed you of everything. That’s because anyone who hurts you hurts those the Lord loves and guards.So I will raise my powerful hand to strike down your enemies. Their own slaves will rob them of everything. Then you will know that the Lord who rules over all has sent me.“‘ People of Zion, shout and be glad! I am coming to live among you,’ announces the Lord.‘ At that time many nations will join themselves to me. And they will become my people. I will live among you,’ says the Lord. Then you will know that the Lord who rules over all has sent me to you.He will receive Judah as his share in the holy land. And he will choose Jerusalem again.
-
Zephaniah 3:14-20
People of Zion, sing! Israel, shout loudly! People of Jerusalem, be glad! Let your hearts be full of joy.The Lord has stopped punishing you. He has made your enemies turn away from you. The Lord is the King of Israel. He is with you. You will never again be afraid that others will harm you.The time is coming when people will say to Jerusalem,“ Zion, don’t be afraid. Don’t give up.The Lord your God is with you. He is the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you. In his love he will no longer punish you. Instead, he will sing for joy because of you.”The Lord says to his people,“ You used to celebrate my appointed feasts in Jerusalem. You are sad because you can’t do that anymore. Other people make fun of you because of that. That sadness was a heavy load for you to carry. But I will remove that load from you.At that time I will punish all those who crushed you. I will save those among you who are disabled. I will gather those who have been taken away. I will give them praise and honor in every land where they have been put to shame.At that time I will gather you together. And I will bring you home. I will give you honor and praise among all the nations on earth. I will bless you with great success again,” says the Lord.
-
Zechariah 8:2-8
“ I am very jealous for my people in Zion. In fact, I am burning with jealousy for them.”He continued,“ I will return to Zion. I will live among my people in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the Faithful City. And my mountain will be called the Holy Mountain.”He continued,“ Once again old men and women will sit in the streets of Jerusalem. All of them will be using canes because they are old.The city streets will be filled with boys and girls. They will be playing there.”He continued,“ All of that might seem hard to believe to the people living then. But it will not be too hard for me.”He continued,“ I will save my people. I will gather them from the countries of the east and the west.I will bring them back to live in Jerusalem. They will be my people. I will be their faithful God. I will keep my promises to them.”
-
Zechariah 1:9
An angel was talking with me. I asked him,“ Sir, what are these?” He answered,“ I will show you what they are.”
-
Jeremiah 31:3-14
The Lord appeared to us in the past. He said,“ I have loved you with a love that lasts forever. I have kept on loving you with a kindness that never fails.I will build you up again. Nation of Israel, you will be rebuilt. Once again you will use your tambourines to celebrate. You will go out and dance with joy.Once again you will plant vineyards on the hills of Samaria. Farmers will plant them. They will enjoy their fruit.There will be a day when those on guard duty will cry out. They will stand on the hills of Ephraim. And they will shout,‘ Come! Let’s go up to Zion. Let’s go up to where the Lord our God is.’ ”The Lord says,“ Sing for joy because the people of Jacob are blessed. Shout because the Lord has made them the greatest nation. Make your praises heard. Say,‘ Lord, save your people. Save the people who are left alive in Israel.’I will bring them from the land of the north. I will gather them from one end of the earth to the other. Even those who are blind and those who can’t walk will be among them. Pregnant women and women having their babies will be among them also. Many of them will return.Their eyes will be filled with tears as they come. They will pray as I bring them back. I will lead them beside streams of water. I will lead them on a level path where they will not trip or fall. I am Israel’s father. And Ephraim is my oldest son.“ Listen to my message, you nations. Announce it on shores far away. Say,‘ He who scattered Israel will gather them. He will watch over his flock like a shepherd.’I will set the people of Jacob free. I will save them from those who are stronger than they are.They will come and shout for joy on Mount Zion. They will be joyful because of everything I give them. I give them grain, olive oil and fresh wine. I give them the young animals in their flocks and herds. Israel will be like a garden that has plenty of water. And they will not be sad anymore.Then young women will dance and be glad. And so will the men, young and old alike. I will turn their mourning into gladness. I will comfort them. And I will give them joy instead of sorrow.I will satisfy the priests. I will give them more than enough. And my people will be filled with the good things I give them,” announces the Lord.
-
Zechariah 8:19
“ You have established special times to go without eating. They are your fasts in the fourth, fifth, seventh and tenth months. They will become days of joy. They will be happy times for Judah. It will happen if you take delight in telling the truth and bringing about peace.”
-
Zechariah 4:1
Then the angel who was talking with me returned. He woke me up. It was as if I had been asleep.
